The Echo
by PhoenixFalls
Summary: A soulmate AU prompt from a tumblr anon that got WAY too long to post on my blog as one post, but still kinda shortish "chapters." Written in one sitting over eight and half hours. "Time Lapse AU! Where the day you and your soulmate should meet happens over and over again till you meet properly." Rating for some language
1. Ch1 Emily

Emily woke up with a start when her alarm started blaring the local news station at a decibel that should have been illegal for six in the morning. Groaning, she reached out a hand blindly from under the covers and felt around her radio for the volume control, frantically smashing the down button when she discovered it.

"Good morning, DC!" the chipper radio hosts voice seemed loud despite the fact that she had turned the sound down. "It's a beautiful April morning, currently forty-five degrees at BWI, forty-eight here in the City, we're expecting it to go up to the high sixties today, so that spring chill won't stick around too long. Let's go to the Sprawl and Crawl to check out the traffic delays for your Friday commute..."

Emily tuned out the sound of the host chirping on about local weather and traffic and swung her legs over the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes and yawning. What the hell was she doing up this early on her Friday off again? She hummed in thought as her brain struggled to shake off the cobwebs of sleep and catch up to her body which was already heading towards the bathroom. That's right. She'd promised her best friend she'd help him with one of the houses he was rennovating because he'd helped her move into her new apartment several months ago.

Brushing her teeth mindlessly in front of the bathroom mirror, she wondered if she could call him and tell him she was sick. No, he'd see right through that though he would probably let her get away with it, it wouldn't be worth the payback later. Emily spit in the sink and wiped her mouth, yawning again and making her way to the closet for what Derek Morgan, her best friend, deemed her "butch clothes" since they were going to be dealing with plaster and dust most of the day. Although, in Derek's mind, _all_ her clothes were "butch clothes." In Emily's defense, she tended toward thinking of her style as more "executive futch" but Derek didn't understand the nuance no matter how many times she explained it to him.

She went into the kitchen and contemplated committing a sin and making instant coffee, but as she ran her tongue around her teeth-still tasting toothpaste-she decided against it. Maybe she would stop by Bethesda Bagels on her way to meet Derek, they'd be open by the time she got there and she could get something to eat instead.

"Hey, Serg!" Emily cooed at the current love of her life, a black cat named Sergio, as he murred and rubbed his side against her leg to get her attention. She bent over to scratch the top of his head and then grabbed her keys from their spot in the bowl by the door and stepped out of her apartment, locking the door behind her.

Emily worked as a free lance translator in the city and though it paid okay, she didn't actually need the money having come from the rich stock on both sides of her family. She hated to be thought of as a spoilt rich kid and rarely spent money on extravagances though she lived in the rather wealthy (and rather gay) part of DC known as Dupont Circle. She'd moved there from Chicago, desperately needing a change of scenery and social circle after a rather messy breakup. Her best friend, a Chicago native who had moved to DC a year prior, suggested DC immediately on finding out she was thinking of moving claiming that it was definitely her speed, and he wasn't wrong.

Easing her sleek car out of its designated spot in the parking garage, she aimed toward the bagel shop, firing off a text to Derek at a red light to let him know he was picking him up a bagel. As expected, by the time she found a spot near Bethesda Bagels, there was already a line forming inside. It looked like it was moving fairly quickly though so she went in and fiddled with her phone while waiting to make the front of the queue. A quiet ringside bell sounded from her phone alerting her to the fact that Derek had sent her back a text.

*Get me some egg salad for spread, Princess* it read.

Emily frowned as her thumb slid around the interface of her phone as she replied. *Egg salad before noon? You're disgusting*

*Gotta get that protein in, I had a long night ;)*

Emily rolled her eyes but smiled. It was a well known fact, though inexplicable to science, that when a person went through a day in which they could have met their soulmate, but humanities pesky freewill prevented the meeting, the day would repeat over and over again until the soulmates met. No one knew how it worked despite it being a studied phenomenon since ancient times, there was a popular theory about alternative dimensions and M Theory, but largely, everyone just kinda shrugged about it and accepted it as a fact of life. It had happened to Derek shortly after moving to DC almost two years ago, and after an apparently embarrassing number of attempts which he still refused to put a number on, he and his girlfriend Penelope Garcia were saving up money from Derek's house projects to pay for their wedding and honeymoon.

Emily made her way back to her car after getting her bagel order and headed toward Maryland where Derek's latest project lay. Being at the age where she now celebrated the "anniversary" of her thirtieth birthday, she had resigned herself to the fact that what was colloquially known as "The Echo" wouldn't happen to her. She wasn't unhappy about it, as a matter of fact, most people never experienced the repeating days, not with seven billion people in the world and climbing where everything had to align _just so_ for soulmates to meet one another, but she'd be lying if she said she weren't a little disappointed.

It wasn't that she lacked company, even by her own admission, Emily was a bit of a ladykiller, but she was truly a romantic at heart and what was more romantic than the idea that there was someone out there who complimented you so perfectly that known physics turned on its head to get you together? The more she thought about it, the more she felt like maybe that was why she never wanted to get married, a major point of contention in her last relationship. It absolutely _killed_ her mother that Emily, her only child, had yet to produce a viable heir to the family fortunes, which was actually kind of satisfying though she had plans to do something similar to her Great-Aunt Sadie and dote on a young relative when she reached old age and name them beneficiary, but as far as she was concerned, her mother didn't have to know that just yet.

Over an hour and a half later, she pulled into the roundabout driveway of a stately looking mansion in Calvert County Maryland. She parked next to Derek's truck and grabbing the bag of bagels, let herself in. The inside of the house almost looked like a skeleton, it was barebones and tarps so far, having been set back by having to replace some copper tubing in the kitchen. She wandered down the hall, following the sounds of music on the radio until she found Derek in what would be a study standing on a ladder and hanging drywall on the ceiling.

"There you are, Princess!" he exclaimed, coming down from the ladder and setting his tools aside. "I was beginning to think you bailed on me."

"Why would you think that?" Emily asked, waiting for him to remove his work gloves before fishing in her bag and handing him his egg salad bagel.

"My friend JJ thought she'd be able to come by and help but she wasn't feeling well this morning and she canceled." he took a thoughtful bite of his food and said, "I think she was faking it though."

Emily nodded absentmindedly, chewing a mouth full of bagel. "That sucks."

Derek shrugged. "It's no big deal, it's her birthday, so I'll let it slide."


	2. Ch2 JJ

JJ huffed slightly as she jogged along the dirt trail in Rock Creek Park. She loved running, she had since she was little. Which worked out well since she played soccer all through college. She even thought about going pro for a while, but in the end, decided to put her public relations degree to good use and work as the communication liaison for the Metro PD. It was there that she met her friend Derek who worked in the sex assault department.

In fact, she should have been on her way to helping him gut and finish a house in Maryland, but the morning was too nice to be inside half the day. She knew he'd forgive her because it was her birthday and knew she'd still be around to help out later. JJ nodded to a jogger passing her in the opposite direction and glanced down at her watch to see what kind of time she was making only to remember she hadn't put it on that morning. The trail she was on was long, but the grade was easy so she wasn't struggling forward. She could let her mind go blank and just run mindfully, but JJ found herself wondering about her plans for the evening.

In her twenties, she didn't really celebrate her birthday that much. Sure, she went out and partied, but she wasn't a "we're partying specifically because it's my birthday" kind of girl. That changed two years ago when she hit thirty and decided to embrace the day as a reason to treat herself and unwind with loved ones. This was the first year since then that everyone she wanted to be with her actually had the evening off, even better that it landed on a Friday this year so she was treating her body healthfully until her friends attempted to pickle her liver later that night.

Even her brother Thomas happened to be in town on vacation. She'd seen him already this week, but it was nice that her sister in law insisted that she keep their daughter for the night so Thomas could go out with his little sister for her birthday. JJ had promised to take good care of him and return him in one piece, which had made her niece Ally giggle.

JJ adored Ally as much as the little blonde loved her "Auntie Jenny" and she wondered, not for the first time, if she would have any kids someday. Truthfully, she thought she'd have been settled by now, but every long term relationship she'd been in, there was just something that felt...off though she couldn't put her finger on it. Her brother insisted she was just too picky, but JJ hated being with someone and feeling like she was settling. Maybe she was too picky.

Coming back to where she'd started from, JJ slowed herself gradually until she was just walking fast and made her way to her car where she sat in the drivers seat with the door open and her feet on the pavement, drinking a bottle of water that had been in the cup holder with gusto while pulling her phone out of the center console to check her messages. Scrolling through the various well-wishes for her birthday from family and friends, she noticed that her best friend, Derek's fiancée Penelope, had sent her an actual message.

*Hey Sweetness!* it read. *Derek told me you weren't feeling well but I suspect you're just lounging in your bathrobe eating bonbons ;) get back at me when you get this, I have a question*

JJ tapped on Penelope's name and the call engaged. It rang twice before she was greeted with a cheerful rendition of the chorus of Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday," a birthday habit she'd picked up from Derek.

"Is this why you wanted me to call?" JJ laughed, swinging her legs into the car so she could lean back in her seat.

"Well, partly." Penelope admitted. "Besides serenading you with my sirens song, I wanted to see if it was okay if me and my Chocolate Adonis brought someone with us to the party tonight."

JJ gripped her headrest with her free hand in an attempt to stretch her arm muscles and shrugged. "Sure! Who is it?"

"Oh she's great! Her name is Emily and she's one of Derek's friends from Chicago. She just moved here and doesn't know a whole ton of people so _I_ figure, she should meet the _best_ ton of people, right? Also, Jayje, she is _hot_. She's got a whole nerdy Morticia Addams thing going on."

JJ rolled her eyes. "PG, you're not trying to set me up on a blind date for my birthday, are you? Cause if you are, that's a shitty present."

"No, I swear it! You will get top notch material goods from me, cupcake but ever since I met her, I just think you'd be so cute together. Derek agrees."

"Oh he does, does he?"

"I can _hear_ the frown in your voice and let me tell you it's like a lead arrow in my heart. I swear we weren't planning this, but when he told me Emily was over at the Calvert County house helping him do buff construction stuff, I mentioned that it would be nice for you two to meet but _then_ he told me you totally ghosted him so I made an executive decision to ask if you wouldn't mind if we brought her along."

"You swear it wasn't a blind date?"

"I swear on my favourite external hard drive. I know how you hate the pressure of blind dates, I wouldn't do that to you. At least, not on your birthday."

"Alright." JJ nodded even though Penelope couldn't see her. "I gotta run though, I'm having lunch with my sister-in-law and my niece and I still need to get home and shower."

"Okey dokey, gorgeous! I'll text Derek and have him tell Em she's in. See you tonight!"

JJ bade her friend goodbye and ended the call, starting her engine and heading for home. As apprehensive as she was about meeting someone her friends thought she'd like romantically, she was a little excited. She'd had dates here and there, but she'd been single for about a year already. Her last major relationship had been with a cop in New Orleans. In the end, despite the fact that they had indeed grown to love each other, neither of them were willing to pull up stakes and move to the other so they'd amicably called it quits though he remained a good friend.

She cracked her window to let some of the fresh spring air in and hummed along to the radio. Something inside her told her that today was going to be a great day, not just because it was her birthday.


	3. Ch3 Emily

"God, this is why I don't work out." Emily complained, twisting at her waist forcefully to crack her back. They had been at it for most of the day and had gotten a lot done despite it being just the two of them. Though she could have done without quite so much manual labour, Emily could appreciate what Derek saw in flipping houses beyond just making money.

" _You_ don't work out, Princess?" Derek asked, wiping his sweating brow with a bandana that had previously been around his neck to cover his mouth and nose. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it." Emily insisted, hopping up on a nearby counter to take her weight off her legs. "I consider going to Sharpshooters in Lorton 'working out.' Beyond that? If it doesn't end in an orgasm, I'm not doing it."

Derek laughed and tossed her a bottle of water from a cooler in the corner. "So how do you stay so fit? I _know_ it's not your diet, you eat like me."

"I have a lot of orgasms." Emily returned, taking a drink of her water.

Derek let out a loud laugh and shook his head. He'd always liked that about Emily, that they could be as ribald as they wanted to with each other, but it was never in poor taste, He fished around for his phone in his pocket and pulled it out, checking the messages he'd missed while he and Emily had been working. Seeing a text from his girlfriend that she'd just gotten off the phone with JJ, Derek grinned and put his phone back in his pocket, crossing his arms and turning his attention to his friend. "Hey, you wanna come out with me and Baby Girl tonight?"

Emily's tired demeanor perked up and she tilted her head slightly in curiosity. "Where're you going?"

"Eighteenth Street, for JJ's birthday."

"I don't know," she replied skeptically. "Wouldn't that be weird for me to crash someone's birthday I don't know?"

"Not at all! Besides, you're not really a stranger, you know me and PG, and your buddy Detective Rossi is gonna be there."

Emily smirked at that comment. She had met David Rossi at one of Derek's poker nights and after he'd mumbled something in Italian and Emily had laughed, she became his favourite person at the table. She liked the guy, he was the kind of man that reminded people of the good qualities a father ought to have. "Is it okay with your friend?"

Derek nodded. "It's all been cleared, Princess. Besides, I really think you should meet JJ."

"Why's that?"

he shrugged, trying not to look like he was up to something. "We just think you two would really hit it off is all."

"Who's we?" Emily asked suspiciously.

"Me and the Missus."

"Derek Morgan, if you're setting me up on a blind date I will _end_ you."

Derek held up his hands in supplication and shook his head. "I swear I'm not! It just works out, you need a broader social circle and there's going to be a bunch of people tonight, it's just a bonus that I happen to think you and JJ would hit it off and you need to put yourself back out there."

Emily threw her empty water bottle at Derek's head, which he only just managed to dodge. "I do not!"

"Oh come on, Em, when's the last time you had a date?"

"I go on dates all the time!" she protested.

"Okay, let me rephrase that, when's the last time you had a date that was more than just a prelude to knockin boots?"

Emily frowned at that, she could admit when she'd been got. "Okay, fine, you have a point, but just because you think your friend and I would be good together doesn't mean that it'll happen. I am _not_ comfortable 'one and done'ing your friends."

Morgan chuckled and shook his head. "You think you can pull a Prentiss on JJ? I got news for you, Princess, she may be little, but I wouldn't try her."

Emily rolled her eyes and hopped off the counter, lifting her arms overhead in an attempt to stretch her sore muscles. "We done here?"

Derek looked around, gauging what was still left to do and checked his watch. It was almost five o'clock. "Yeah, we should call it quits for the day. Thanks for your help, you really missed a calling in construction."

"And have to drive a pickup? God, I'm not _that_ gay."

They laughed as they headed out of the house and to their vehicles. "Eighteenth Street at nine-thirty." Derek said as he watched Emily get in her car.

"Nine-thirty." she repeated. "Got it. Should I...should I bring like, a present or something?"

"Nah, just bring yo cute self and your dancing shoes."

Emily nodded and waved at Derek as she drove off, heading for home. On the way back to her apartment, she felt a funny sort of fluttering in her chest. Maybe this would be good for her, meeting Derek and Penelope's friend. She had been kind of sheltering herself from anything resembling a relationship for a while now and while she didn't expect that she'd have a relationship with this JJ, it would be nice if she could wrangle a couple of _normal_ dates. If nothing else, she'd probably make new friends tonight which was definitely a plus. Her personal social circle was woefully lacking since she moved. Largely because she didn't really go out unless she was looking to get laid, she was very much a homebody and preferred her cat to most people. It would be nice to meet new people.

As Emily unlocked the front door to her apartment an hour and a half later, she was greeted immediately by a series of long meows that were stuttering because of Sergio's quick gait to the door. Emily sucked her teeth and scooped the cat up as he reached her, kicking the door shut behind her. "Oh, Sergio! I forgot to feed you this morning!" she exclaimed guiltily. "I'm sorry buddy!" she dropped the cat to the floor and went into the kitchen to grab some wet food from the cupboard. "How about the good stuff to make up for it, hmm?"

Sergio's response was to yowl pitifully, weaving around her legs as she moved to collect his bowl, fill it, and put it back. His meows were only interrupted by the fact that he had settled in to eat. Emily stroked his back a few times in apology and trudged to her bedroom, stripping clothes off on her way and fully intending to soak in the tub with the hottest water available before making dinner. Chucking her dirty work clothes into the hamper in the master bathroom, she started to run a bath, sitting at the edge of the tub and letting herself zone out as she waited for it to fill with hot water. Soon, the bathroom was full of steam even though the door was open and Emily hissed as she sunk into the tub. The water was hotter than she'd anticipated, but it was just what her muscles needed.

She lay in the tub until her stomach started to growl, reminding her that all she'd eaten today was a bagel with cream cheese and she pulled the plug to the drain with her toes, only standing up when most of the water was gone. Putting on her robe, she made her way back into her bedroom, noticing that it had gotten rather steamy and stuffy in there as well. Emily opened her bedroom window which didn't have much of a view because it lead out to a fire escape. She made a mental note to close it after dinner so Sergio wouldn't get out and set about figuring out what to have for dinner.

Emily's mother was an Ambassador, and as such, she'd grown up literally around the world. She'd had a lonely childhood punctuated by a few dear friends here and there, but every time they moved to a new house, Emily made _sure_ to make friends with the staff. Partially because that's just the kind of person she was, and partially because if they were on friendly terms, they would cover for her when she snuck out. She particularly took a liking to the kitchen staff after discovering she loved to cook. The problem was, she loved to cook for _other people_. If it was just her, she tended to eat like a starving college student, still treating herself to things her parents never let her have growing up because they weren't "those" kind of people.

It was for that reason that "dinner" for Emily consisted of microwavable corn dogs which she ate in her robe while sitting on the kitchen counter. Noting that it was getting late, she rinsed the ketchup residue off her plate and deposited it in the dishwasher and strutted to her closet to find something to wear. The Eighteenth Street Lounge was nice, but not fancy, and Emily definitely didn't want to look like she was trying to hard to impress anyone, but she didn't want to look too casual either. She settled on a red halter top with black jeans and dress shoes before tackling her hair and makeup. In high school, her makeup was largely inspired by Siousxie Sioux, but these days she went for subtle. A light smokey eye and a bit of lip colour and she was ready to go. She was just putting on her earrings when she realized, she'd have to leave now if she wanted to make it by nine-thirty. She scheduled an Uber and was in luck that the driver who responded was only two minutes away. Grabbing her keys and wallet, she hollered a goodbye to Sergio over her shoulder and left her apartment.

There was a short line outside Eighteenth Street and Emily spotted Derek with Penelope, Rossi, and a skinny looking kid with messy hair wearing a vest that she didn't know.

"Glad to see you made it, Princess!" Derek greeted her as she hugged Penelope. He gestured to the skinny kid. "You know Rossi already, but this is Dr. Spencer Reid, boy-genius. He's an abnormal psychologist that does work with the Metro PD sometimes."

"It's just Spencer, you don't have to call me doctor." He said, looking at the hand she offered like he was debating something before shaking it. "Everyone mostly calls me Reid, except JJ who calls me Spence."

"Nice to meet you." Emily said with her best I've-been-to-a-million-political-functions smile which turned genuine when she noticed the TARDIS pin on his vest. "Love the pin by the way."

Reid grinned and asked her if she watched Doctor Who at the same time Rossi and Derek said "here we go" exasperatedly. The four of them conversed freely as they made their way to the front of the line and paid the doorman to get in. It was crowed, as to be expected for a Friday night, but they managed to find some unoccupied couches crowded around a little table in one of the rooms. Penelope's phone went off as they sat down and she checked it, frowning.

"The birthday girl and Thomas are running late." Penelope announced. "Her niece wouldn't let them leave until she fell asleep and now they're stuck in traffic. She says to get started without her and she'll be here in about forty-five minutes."

They decided to wait a bit before they ordered drinks and had just started to discuss drink orders when Emily's phone buzzed in her pocket. Normally, she wouldn't bother with her phone in a social setting, but literally everyone who would have reason to text her was sitting in front of her and her mother was strictly phone calls only. It was either an emergency or a wrong number, but just in case it was the former she decided to check. It was a message from her upstairs neighbour Mallory, feeling a twinge of worry, she opened the message and read it.

*Hey Emily, sorry to bother you but Sergio was meowing at my window so he must have got out! I tried taking him back down to you but I guess you're not home. I've got him locked in the bathroom right now so he's okay, but please come get him as soon as you can, my dog can smell him and they're freaking each other out!*

"Aw shit." Emily muttered under her breath. She'd forgotten to close her window. At least he hadn't gone far. She weighed the pros and cons of leaving him at Mallory's until she went home, but she knew Bruno, Mallory's german shepherd wasn't cat friendly and had probably parked himself outside the bathroom door where Sergio didn't really have anywhere to hide, or water, or a litter box. She couldn't do that to him so she fired off a text to Mallory saying she'd call an Uber and be there as soon as possible before standing up, drawing attention to herself. "Sorry guys, I'm going to have to raincheck." She said. "My cat got out and my neighbour's got him locked in her bathroom with her really excitable dog outside the door, I gotta go get him."

"You're coming back though, right?" Penelope asked hopefully.

Emily looked at the time on her phone and shrugged. "Depends on what time it is when I get home, I guess. Probably not though." She nodded at Reid. "It was nice meeting you. Tell your friend I'm sorry I had to dash without meeting her." She added, addressing Derek. The group bade their goodbyes and Emily managed wade through the throng of people and leave the club and into the night air. She checked the timing on her ride and noting that it was close, she scanned how long the line had gotten since she'd gotten in. Her eyes stopped on a petite blonde woman near the front of the line talking to a taller man with sandy blonde hair. Emily could only see her from the side, but what a profile it was. The blonde must have sensed she was being stared at because she turned and searched the faces on the sidewalk until her eyes landed on Emily. For the half a second they stared at each other, Emily noted that she had the prettiest eyes she'd ever seen, second only to the prettiest smile she'd ever seen when the blonde's mouth turned up in a way that acknowledged she'd caught Emily staring and then she turned back to resume her conversation.

"Too bad I'm leaving." Emily thought as her Uber pulled up to the curb. "I'd certainly like to meet _her_."


	4. Ch4 JJ

"She's _finally_ asleep." JJ announced quietly from the bed closest to the wall.

Lillian, her very pregnant sister-in-law, looked up from her book from the bed near the balcony door and gave JJ a lopsided grin. "Sorry about that." she said genially. "I know you're trying to get out on time, but you know how she is when she gets to see you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." JJ insisted, sliding her niece off of her lap and into bed before coming around and planting a kiss on Lillian's cheek. "Thanks for lunch, and letting me steal Thomas for the night."

Lillian hugged her and made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "My pleasure! Happy birthday, Jenny."

JJ smiled and sent off a text to Penelope before she made her way over to the balcony, sliding open the door to where her brother was sitting with his feet propped up on the railing and staring at the sky. "What're you looking at?" she asked, leaning halfway out of the door instead of stepping onto the balcony.

"I was just marveling at the utter lack of stars you have here." Thomas said, pulling his feet off the railing. "Ally asleep?"

"Yep, let's book it, we're late and there's gonna be a line. And I refuse to be the most sober person at my party."

Thomas grinned and followed JJ back into the hotel room, pausing briefly to kiss his wife and take stock of his sleeping daughter who had managed to roll onto her stomach with her knees tucked under her and her butt in the air. "How the hell does she sleep like that?" he asked rhetorically, whipping out his phone to get a picture before waving at his wife. "Bye hon, I'm the DD so by the time I bring JJ home, if it's too late, I'll just crash on her couch so I don't wake you."

Lillian nodded in acceptance, waving back as Thomas and JJ left the room.

"So who's all gonna be coming tonight?" Thomas asked as he pulled JJ's car out of the parking space.

"Morgan, Pen, Spence, Rossi, and Morgan's friend from Chicago." she replied distractedly as she punched in their destination on the GPS.

"Does Morgan's friend from Chicago have a name?"

JJ looked up, trying to remember. "Emily, I think? I'm pretty sure it's Emily."

"Is she cute?"

JJ rolled her eyes. "Not you too."

"Me too what?"

"PG and Derek think we'd be cute together so they're trying to set us up."

"That wouldn't be so bad, Jenny, mama's starting to get worried about you."

JJ scoffed. "I don't even know her! And what's mom worried about, she already got a grandkid out of you with one on the way!"

Thomas laughed but shook his head. "We just want you to be happy, is all. You know ever since Ros, ma's been keeping a real hawk eye on us."

JJ nodded somberly at the mention of her sister Rosaline. It had been over twenty years since their sister took her life, but it still affected them all, especially their parents. "Well she doesn't have to worry, I'm plenty happy."

"Good enough for me. I think she might just still be sore about you breaking it off with that guy from New Orleans, she really liked him."

JJ shrugged. "I did too, but I don't ever see myself loving someone enough to move to a state where they have alligators just hanging out on the side of the road, and he wasn't willing to move here."

"That's fair, I wouldn't move here either." He laughed when JJ punched his arm.

"Park in this garage, we'll walk the rest of the way." JJ suggested, pointing to an underground parking lot and reaching over to detach the GPS from the windshield and shove it in the glovebox.

"Jeezus, what are they givin away in there?" Thomas asked as they approached Eighteenth Street, referring to the long line.

"It's worth it, I promise." JJ insisted. "Half the line is usually people trying to haggle the door price, we'll be in in no time." she pulled out her phone and text Penelope that they were in line and to order her something fruity and a shot of Grey Goose. "So are you hoping for another girl?" she asked, putting her phone away after she got a confirmation text.

Thomas shrugged and rocked back on his heels. "I dunno, another girl'd be nice for sure, but I honestly don't care as long as they're healthy." JJ knew plenty of people who made such sentiments and always made exceptions if their kid turned out to be queer or trans or both, but she knew her brother well and knew the sentiment was genuine.

"You know," JJ started, a puckish grin on her face. "If you have another girl, Jennifer is an _excellent_ name."

Thomas laughed and shook his head. "Jennifer Jareau Junior? We'd have to call her J Cubed. I'm afraid I can't do that to a child of mine, sis."

"It was just a thought." she said good naturedly. Thomas said something else, but she didn't quite catch it as she got the distinct feeling that she was being stared at. She turned to look at the faces of the people on the sidewalk, ready to give a disapproving glare at some creeper when she spotted the most gorgeous woman she'd ever seen looking at her. Black hair to her shoulders framed her face and JJ caught herself thinking that the woman had the cutest nose she'd ever seen before deciding she also had the most beautiful, soulful brown eyes she'd ever seen. The corner of the woman's mouth twitched like she was going to smile, an admission at having been caught. JJ felt herself smile through no effort of her own and only turned away when her brother called her name to get her attention that they were moving forward again. By the time they settled into the new line configuration, the woman had gone.

"Too bad she was leaving." JJ thought, pulling out her wallet to pay their cover as they were the next in line. "I definitely would have liked to meet _her_."


	5. Ch5 Emily

Emily was thrown rather violently out of a pleasant dream when her alarm went off, blaring the radio loudly. "Fuck." she muttered, shoving the pillow next to her over her head as if she could keep the sound out by sandwiching her ears between cotton. No such luck. She must have forgotten to turn the alarm off after she brought Sergio back home. Muttering a few choice curses as she felt sleepiness leave her, she acquiesced to being awake and sat up, leaning over to turn her radio down. Yawning, she stretched and threw off the blankets, blinking in the early morning light before standing up and shuffling to the en suite.

"Good morning, DC!" the chipper radio hosts voice seemed loud despite the fact that she had turned the sound down. "It's a beautiful April morning, currently forty-five degrees at BWI, forty-eight here in the City, we're expecting it to go up to the high sixties today, so that spring chill won't stick around too long. Let's go to the Sprawl and Crawl to check out the traffic delays for your Friday commute..."

Stopping in the middle of her trek to the bathroom, Emily did an abrupt about face and stared at her clock radio. "No." she mumbled aloud in disbelief. It _couldn't_ be, right? They just accidentally played the tape from yesterday, right? She shook her head. WTOP didn't pre tape the morning weather and traffic reports. Emily stumbled into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Last night, she had gone to bed in her oversized Yale tee and had forgotten to take her makeup off until she was already comfy cozy in bed so had decided to leave it till the morning. Instead of finding herself wearing the Yale tee and having raccoon eyes, she was fresh faced, if a little sleepy looking, and wearing the white nightgown she'd worn to bed the night before last. She looked down at herself to verify as if the mirror was lying to her. Definitely still the nightgown she'd worn the night before last.

She left the bathroom in a daze and went straight to the kitchen to get the coffee maker started. She needed to think. Maybe she was still dreaming? Emily frowned. If this was a dream, it was the most hyper-realistic dream she'd ever had and she was including the time she fell asleep while being high on mushrooms in college. Still, she couldn't quite rule it out as the surreal quality of what was happening settled into her mind. Emily's dumbfounded state was interrupted by Sergio rubbing against her legs and she bent down absentmindedly to give him attention. "Hey, Serg," she started, trailing off and righting herself again. This was too weird.

The percolating coffee maker prompted her to fish a mug out of her cabinet and pour herself as much coffee as had been made. She winced slightly as the hot liquid hit her tongue. Definitely not a dream then. She kicked out a stool from the island and sat down numbly. Okay, she had to think logically about this. If this was the Echo, what was she missing? _Who_ was she missing?

Someone in line at Bethesda Bagels? Could have been, she'd been so absorbed in her phone to notice anyone. She checked the time on the stove and decided if she hurried, she'd still make it to the bagel shop around the same time as she did yesterday. Today. Whatever. Emily had never gotten ready for anything so fast in her life, her thumbs tapping furiously as she sent a message to Derek, the only person she knew who would know what to do.

*Going to Bethesda Bagels. Need to talk to you ASAP.* she said.

The theme song to the show Cops playing while she was driving alerted her to the fact that Derek was calling her. He barely got to get through his concerned "What's wrong?" before she interrupted him.

"Nothing! No, _everything_." She practically shouted, her eyes obsessively darting to the clock to check that she'd get there in time. "Holy shit, I think it's happening and I am _freaking_ out."

"Whoah, whoah, slow down Princess." Derek said in a soothing tone. "What's happening? What are you freaking out about?"

"The Echo, Derek! That's what I'm freaking out about! I went through today yesterday!"

Emily held the phone away from her ear in response to the jubilant whoop Derek let out. "My girl!" he exclaimed proudly. "Why are you going to Bethesda Bagels first?"

"It's what I did yesterday. Today. Whatever. But when I was there, I was texting you and not paying attention to anyone, what if she was there? Oh _god_ , what if she was there?!" Emily acutely felt the coffee in her stomach roiling and immediately regretted the little bit she'd had before she left.

"Chill out, Prentiss." Derek assuaged. "Deep breaths, calm down." He waited till he heard her take several deep breaths before talking again. "You're gonna go to Bethesda, sashay ya fine self in there, stay _off_ the phone, and chat up anyone trying to make conversation."

"Chat up anyone trying to make conversation." She repeated nervously.

"And get me an egg salad bagel while you're in there."

Emily huffed out a laugh. "You disgust me."

"You know you love me. I'll see you when you get here, lemme know what the Bethesda Bagel Babe situation is."

Emily snorted and hung up the phone without saying goodbye. The closer she got to the bagel shop, the more nervous she felt. There was a short line forming inside and she queued up, trying to look relaxed and approachable as she glanced around. Could it be someone in line? An employee? What if they met and no connection was made so they both thought the other wasn't The One™ and they kept reliving the same day for eternity? Emily bit the inside of her cheek and forced her racing thoughts to slow down. So far, she didn't feel like anyone was singling her out for anything. Did the Echo really last forever if you didn't get it right? There was literally a thriving subgenre of horror dedicated to the idea. Was she just supposed to ask everyone she talked to if they remembered doing this yesterday? Today? _Whatever_.

"Are you ready to order?" The cashier asked. She was cute, Emily decided. In a little sister kind of way, she looked to be in her mid twenties, an age Emily had ceased to view as relationship or sexual opportunities. Oh god, the Echo wouldn't be someone who was out of her age range, would it? That threw a whole new kink into things. Why hadn't she read more studies on it?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she cleared her throat and nodded. "Um, one everything bagel with cream cheese toasted and one egg salad plain bagel toasted please."

The cashier nodded and punched in Emily's order. "That all today?" there was no flicker of recognition in her eyes and Emily felt relieved.

"Yeah." she affirmed, handing over her debit card when the cashier announced her total.

She scoped the place while her order was being prepared, hoping to see someone with the air of 'I'm looking for someone I don't know' too. She made eye contact with a few patrons, but nothing more than the brief glance associated with a wandering gaze. Emily collected her order and let out a huge sigh as she made her way back to her car and headed toward Maryland. Again. For the first time. An hour and a half on the dot, she parked her car next to Derek's truck and marched into the house with purpose, heading straight back to what would soon be a study to find Derek exactly as she had yesterday. Today. Whatever.

"How'd the hunt for Mrs Right go, Princess?" Derek asked instead of offering a greeting and climbing off the ladder.

"Nada." Emily replied, pulling her bagel out of the bag and handing the whole bag to Derek who gleefully peeled the wrapper from his food and took a bite. "I don't think it was anyone there unless it _was_ someone there and they thought I wasn't the someone there?" she forced herself to take a bite to avoid rambling further, scowling when Derek laughed.

"I don't think that can happen." he said, crumpling the bag up and shoving it into a nearby garbage bag.

"It can't?" Emily asked hopefully. God, that would lay at least ninety of her current fears to rest.

"Nope. I don't _think_ so anyway, it's only happened to me once remember."

"That's one more than me."

Derek nodded in acknowledgement. "True."

"So how are you supposed to know?"

He tiled his head back and regarded the half drywalled ceiling as he searched for the words to articulate himself. "You see them and there's this moment where it's like they're the only other person in the world. And then you talk to them and it's like you _know_ them already. You feel like you're seeing a best friend you hadn't seen in a long time and you can't wait to catch up on everything you've missed. And then, the first time you touch, there's like this..." he flexed his fingers trying to illustrate his point. "Flash. You just, know."

Emily nodded like she could empathize and gratefully ruled out anyone at the bagel shop. She definitely hadn't felt like that meeting any of the gazes there. "Okay. Okay." she took a steadying breath. "It's not anyone at Bethesda then."

"Too bad," Derek said with a grin. "I was looking forward to calling your honey Bethesda Bagel Babe for the rest of her life."

Emily rolled her eyes and crumpled her empty wrapper and put it into the garbage bag. "We getting started?"

Derek shrugged and nodded. "Might as well. We're a man down though, my buddy JJ is playing hooky but I'mma let it slide cause it's the girl's birthday."

Emily nodded, already knowing that and groaned when she had a sudden realization. "I just _did_ all this yesterday!"

"Today."

"What _ever_."


	6. Ch6 JJ

To say that JJ was freaking out would be an understatement. She hadn't noticed anything when she first woke up. She was surprised she hadn't been hungover, and that Thomas wasn't on the couch where she'd left him last night, but she figured he must have left early and forgot to leave a note. She ruffled her hair and set about preparing a bowl of oatmeal. Something felt...weird. But she couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe she was still a little drunk? She checked the time on the stove, six forty-five in the morning. She remembered leaving Eighteenth Street at three when they closed, and somehow managing to pull on huge DC United shirt that had been discarded on her floor when she'd woken up that morning around four-thirty, so yeah, maybe she was still drunk. But she didn't _feel_ drunk.

Frowning, JJ padded into her living room and sat crosslegged on the couch, flipping on the TV like she did every morning. She mindlessly flipped through the channels, already knowing she'd stop on the local news to check for the weather for the day. It was Saturday, so she didn't have to work, maybe she'd go back to sleep for a while and then ask Spence if he wanted to meet for brunch. Deciding that that was a good plan, she left the TV on the last station she landed on despite the fact it wasn't the news, and set her bowl down on the coffee table, exchanging it for her tablet so she could text Reid.

She unlocked the tablet and frowned at the date. It said Friday. "Shit!" JJ exclaimed frustratedly. She'd just updated this damn thing a week ago and it was already getting wonky on her? Penelope was right, they purposely messed with the old models every time a new model came out. Working the only techno magic she knew outside of "Google it," JJ shut the tablet down, waited a minute, and turned it back on. It still said Friday. Damn. She hoped that was the only thing wrong with it or she was going to have to buy a new one. Deciding she'd deal with it later, she pulled up messenger to text Reid and noticed a text from Penelope. Penelope who was never awake before eleven unless Derek woke up early. Seeing as they both had a day off, she made an educated guess and opened the message from her friend.

*Hey Sweetness! Derek told me to check on you since you didn't show up at the Maryland house. Are you feeling okay? You CAN'T be sick today of all days! Get back to me when you get this, I have a question*

JJ racked her brain trying to remember all of last night. Had she promised Derek she'd work at the Maryland house the day after her birthday? She lifted one shoulder and nodded slightly. That sure sounded like something drunk JJ would do, especially because she bailed yesterday. She'd talk to Penelope first and just meet up with Derek later than she promised. She decided to send a text just in case her friend had gone back to sleep.

*What's up, Pen? I can't believe I woke up so early after last night!*

She heard her cell start to ring in the bedroom and she ignored it, knowing that it was probably Penelope and that if she didn't answer, Penelope'd know she was too far away from the phone and too lazy to get it and would FaceTime her. Sure enough, her phone went silent for less than ten seconds when the FaceTime alert popped up on her tablet. She answered the call with a smile, always happy to see her best friend, and was about to issue a greeting when she was cut off by Penelope singing the chorus to Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" in an excited voice.

JJ rolled her eyes. "Cute, but we are _so_ not doing the whole 'it's my birthday all weekend long' thing. I don't think my liver can take it."

Penelope's face twisted into mild confusion. "Obviously not, my dearest love, but we _have_ to celebrate the actual day, right? It's the rules now!"

"Are you still drunk?"

"Ummm, _still_ being drunk would imply that I have been _previously_ drunk in the last twelve hours, which considering I have been abstaining in preparation for Jennifer Jareau's Thirty-Second Birthday Spectacular, I have not."

"My birthday was yesterday, Peeg."

Penelope scoffed and shook her head. "You think I don't know my very own sister from another mister's birthday? I've had it circled on my calendar since I got it! Remember? We were all excited because it's on a Friday this year! Are you feeling okay, honey?"

JJ blinked rapidly several times. " _Yesterday_ was Friday."

"No way, Baby Cakes, _yesterday_ was Thursday. I remember because Thursday morning is when the server I play Camelot on goes down for maintenance. Seriously, are you feeling okay?"

Suddenly, as if she had heard an audible click, JJ Understood. "Nope!" she announced, shaking her head vigorously. "No way!"

"Nope no way what?" Penelope asked, aware that she hadn't been answering her question.

Ignoring her friend for a moment, JJ picked up the remote next to her and pressed the button to bring up the channel guide. In the left hand corner, above the channel listings, was the date. Feeling like she was on some kind of hidden camera show, she punched in the right buttons to bring up the news channel. "Shit." she muttered when she got to the channel and it was a commercial. "Pen, Pen, Pen, Pen, talk me down."

"Talk you down from what, Angelface? What's wrong?"

JJ took a deep breath to steady her nerves and looked back at her friend. "I think...I'm in the Echo." It sounded so weird to say it out loud.

"What!" Penelope gasped. It had been an exclamation not a question. "You did all this before?"

"Yes!" she shook her head. "Well no, but yesterday was my birthday. We went to Eighteenth Street. We danced. We got drunk. Thomas drove me home and crashed on the couch, only he wasn't here when I woke up and-" she cut herself off as the news came back on, the fixed portion of the bottom scrawl declared it was Friday. "Holy shit, it's _Friday_."

"You're in the Echo!" Penelope sing-songed happily. "Oh my god, I'm so happy for you! What did you do yesterday?" she frowned. "Today. Whatever."

JJ leaned back and blew an errant lock of hair out of her eyes. "Um, I blew Morgan off, went for a long run in Rock Creek Park, talked to you, came home and showered and met Lillian and Ally for lunch, grocery shopped, got ready for Eighteenth Street, went to the hotel to get my brother and ended up staying until Ally fell asleep so we showed up almost an hour later than planned, there was drinking and dancing, Thomas drove me home and he passed out on the couch while I went to bed. That's it."

"Okay." Penelope started diplomatically. "It had to have been someone you saw in the Previous Today, did you see anyone on your run?"

"Uh, just another jogger."

"Okay! Well that's a start! Get your cute ass over to the park and have yourself a meet-cute!"

"How will I know if he's it?" JJ asked with a frown.

Penelope hummed. "You just know, Sugarplum. You lock eyes and it's like you're the only two people in the universe and you're just compelled to talk to them, and when you talk to them it's like talking to someone who just _gets_ you somehow. And then the first time you touch it's like fireworks going off."

JJ tried to remember if she'd felt compelled to talk to the jogger from yesterday's today. They'd barely looked at each other, maybe that was the problem? She paled as she noticed the time. "Shit, Pen, I gotta get going like two minutes ago if I'm going to make it to the part of the trail where I saw him."

"Okay! Go! Keep me updated! Byeiloveyou!"

Penelope ended the call before JJ could say anything and she very nearly jumped up from the couch to throw on her sports bra and jogging pants, flying out the door after slipping on her shoes. She nervously tapped the steering wheel on the way there. She hadn't been wearing a watch and had left her phone in the car so she wasn't a hundred percent sure what time she'd seen the jogger, but she remembered where she'd been and had a rough gut-feeling about what time it had been based on when she'd started the trail and how long it had taken her to get to that point. What if it was that jogger? She tried to recall his face but couldn't, she'd only seen him for a second. Parking and foregoing her warmup stretch to buy some time, JJ took off down her preferred long trail, trying desperately not to sprint.

When she reached the part of the trail that looked like where she'd seen the man, she slowed to a stop, her muscles protesting already. Frowning, she wondered if she had missed him. Maybe she was early? Or he was late? He'd be doing this day over again too, maybe he wouldn't even _be_ here and they'd have to start over? She set about doing her neglected warmups as a way to calm her nerves and work some of the kinks out of her muscles. A few minutes later, she heard the steady slap of feet against the dirt and looked up to see the jogger heading towards her.

She waited to feel something, anything, as he approached. She made sure to look at his face, he was cute like a teddy bear is cute. He looked like he was fun to be around but she didn't feel anything else. He met her gaze and nodded to her as he passed by, not slowing down on his way. Well, that answered that question. Sighing, JJ figured she may as well finish the trail and she set out at a much more sustainable pace.

On getting back to her car, she grabbed the water bottle she brought with her and held it between her legs as she opened the center console to grab her phone. She immediately called Penelope who answered on the first ring like she had been waiting for the call, which she probably had.

"Was it him?!" Penelope asked breathlessly.

"Nope." JJ replied with a sigh.

"Okay baby, don't worry! It took me and Derek for _ever_ and this is just your first repetition!"

"Not helping, PG."

"Sorry. Oh! In the excitement, I forgot to ask! Is it okay if me and my Chocolate Adonis brought a third for your birthday tonight?"

"Oh, yeah, Morgan's friend from Chicago, sure."

"That's creepy, it's like you're psychic."

"Or that I did this day already."

"Or that."

"Maybe it's someone at the restaurant I go to with Lil and Ally? Our waitress was really pretty, I wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating crackers."

Penelope laughed. "May as well find out!"

"God, being a bisexual in the Echo is going to be literal hell, isn't it?"

"Why do you think it took me and Derek so long?"

"How long did it take, exactly?"

"Nuh-uh, he'd never forgive me if I told, I promised I wouldn't."

JJ pouted though Penelope couldn't see her. "Okay, well, if I have to do this more than ten times you're definitely going to hear about it every time."


	7. Ch7 Emily

"This was somehow _worse_ the second time around." Emily complained, cracking her back.

"You're built like a glamazon, woman, this is cake!"

Emily rolled her eyes and hoisted herself up onto the counter, gratefully accepting the bottle of water he handed to her. "If I have to keep doing this, I'm going to be _so_ pissed that I'm not reaping the benefits of this much exercise."

Derek laughed and thumbed through his phone for a moment before shoving it back in his pocket.

"What are you doing tonight, Princess?"

"Same stuff I did yesternight, I guess. I mean, I have to retrace my steps, right?"

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to come meet some people at Eighteenth Street for JJ's birthday, but you probably knew that already, didn't you?"

"Yep, and I'm going, and I'm gonna talk about Doctor Who with Reid."

Derek groaned and clutched his chest like he'd been wounded. "You're such a _nerd_ , Prentiss."

Emily laughed and slid off the counter. "We done?" but it was clear she was asking as a courtesy as she was making her way to the front hall, Derek following behind.

"Yeah," he replied needlessly, locking the door behind them. "You know where to go tonight?"

"Eighteenth Street, nine-thirty."

Derek shook his head. " _Damn_ that is creepy! I take it since you met Reid, you make it there."

"Yep."

"What did you do between now and then?"

"Um, fed my cat that I didn't feed this morning yet again, took a bath, ate dinner, got ready and met you guys at the Lounge."

"Hey!" Derek said brightly. "That's gotta mean it was someone you saw at the club!"

"Fuck that, Derek. Eighteenth Street on a Friday night? I could be doing this for _months_."

"I hope you like hanging drywall then!" He laughed as he got into his truck.

"Fuck you." Emily returned, sliding into the drivers seat of her car and heading back towards DC.

On the drive home, her stomach felt twisted in knots. What if it was someone at the club? How many people had she seen before she left? She racked her brain drying to think of someone who stood out when her mind went to the pretty blonde she'd seen outside the club. Maybe her? They _had_ had a moment, she guessed. If you called being caught staring a moment, it had gone by far too quickly for her to tell either way. Could be wishful thinking on her part since she was positive a woman that looked like that was taken. Still, it wasn't unheard of for people in relationships to fall into the Echo and there was no obligation for a relationship, just a meeting. It just so happened that almost everyone who met their someone in the Echo decided to pursue a relationship.

Emily frowned as she unlocked the door to her apartment. She didn't want to break up anyone's relationship, no matter if they were in the Echo together. her thoughts shifted immediately as Sergio trotted towards her, meowing pitifully, the same way she'd remembered him doing it before. Christ, even the animals started the whole day again? Did animals have the Echo? She was really going to have to look this stuff up. "I'm _so_ sorry, Sergio!" she cooed, scooping him up and nuzzling his head. "I forgot to feed you _twice_ even though you don't remember. Please forgive me!"

Sergio meowed again and Emily dropped him to the floor so she could get his food ready. She'd mix up some kibble with the wet stuff too. Just to allay her guilty conscious. She practically tripped over him several times while collecting the bowl and then putting it back, but she scratched his back a few times as he started eating in the hopes that there were no hard feelings. She reached over to the coffee maker and flipped the switch on. "Mmm, refried coffee." she muttered. "I sure am a catch!" she tapped her fingers against the countertop wondering if she should forego the bath for a shower. Deciding that soaking in a tub sounded much more enjoyable than a quick shower and then waiting around anxiously to make sure the timeline was right, Emily made her way to the en suite in her room, pulling her clothes off once she got there and dumping them into the hamper.

Remembering how fire-can-not-kill-a-dragon hot the water had been last time, she let the tub fill up half way before fiddling with the knobs until the water was tepid and filling it the rest of the way. Settling into the tub, she sighed happily at the perfect temperature and leaned her head back against the lip of the tub. Mindful not to relax so much she fell asleep, Emily waited until her empty stomach started to make her uncomfortable before pulling the plug of the tub and let the water drain while she dried off and then wrapped herself in her robe.

Emily made her corndogs and ate them as mindfully as she could so as not to rush before depositing her rinsed plate in the dishwasher, again, and going to get ready to go out, again. Standing in her closet, she wondered if she should wear something different. She vaguely recalled that in the brief unit about the Echo in health class in middle and high school, that sometimes people wore different clothes every repetition in the hopes of drawing attention to the fact that they were in the Echo. Of course, she'd also learned in her first year psychology course at Yale that it wasn't statistically probable that people could possibly be so observant as to notice and remember what everyone they came into contact every day was wearing. Hell, she couldn't even remember what she'd worn yesterday. The day before today. Whatever.

She rang her Uber and managed to make sure Sergio had water and food left before she hollered a farewell to him and left her apartment to go to Eighteenth Street. Again. Making a beeline for her friends in line for the club.

"Glad to see you made it, Princess!" Derek greeted, slinging an arm around her shoulder after Penelope gave her a hug. She shot him a warning glance, trying to telepathically remind him of the text she'd sent while she was having dinner. She did _not_ want him to mention the Echo. Partly because she was terrified the kind of lengths Penelope would go to to find out who was in the Echo with her (and there was only so many times she wanted to relieve a fourth degree by the zaftig hacker), but it was their friend's birthday. It'd be kind of shitty to upstage someones birthday for an Echo repetition when it was highly likely she was going to be doing this several more times.

She mimed herself meeting Reid and commenting on his Doctor Who pin while trying to scan the faces of women around her. Did she feel anything? She was so nervous, it was hard to tell if a met gaze meant anything. They paid cover and Emily charged ahead to lead them to the empty couches they'd sat at the first time she'd done this. Penelope's phone went off as they sat down and she frowned as she checked it.

"The birthday girl and Thomas are running late." She announced. "Her niece wouldn't let them leave until she fell asleep and now they're stuck in traffic. She says to get started without her and she'll be here in about forty-five minutes."

Emily tuned out the decision making process on whether or not they should wait a bit and tried to be hyper aware of her surroundings. So sometime between right this second and the time Mallory text her about Sergio, she saw whoever was in the Echo with her. She felt way too damn jittery for this. "I'm gonna grab a drink." she announced distractedly, leaving the group to get to the bar. She needed a shot of something.

"Is she okay?" Penelope asked with concern, watching Emily's retreating form.

"Yeah, Baby Girl don't worry." Derek replied, putting his arm over her shoulder. "I just worked her too hard on that drywall is all."

"Really? But she's so _buff_."

Derek laughed and landed an exaggeratedly loud kiss on her cheek. Silently wishing his friend good luck.


	8. Ch8 JJ

Waiting for Ally to fall asleep was like waiting for grass to grow to a certain height. She loved her niece dearly, but it really felt like this time had taken longer than before. Eventually though, after making up several stories, Ally grew quiet and heavy as her breath evened out. Carefully sliding her lap out from under the six-year-old, she looked over to where Lillian was reading a book.

"She out?" Lillian asked, peering over the top of her book on registering that JJ had stopped talking.

"Like a light." JJ confirmed with a smile. She wrapped an arm around her sister-in-law in a sideways hug and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks again for lunch."

"No problem, Jenny. Happy birthday."

"Thank you." JJ took a few steps towards the balcony door before remembering she'd text Penelope before she collected her brother. Sending the text, she slid open the balcony door and leaned out. "Hey, let's motor."

Thomas dropped his feet from where they were propped up on the balcony railing and turned to his sister with a grin. "Ally finally asleep?"

"Yep. I have something I want to talk to you about too."

"What's up?" Thomas asked with concern at JJ's tone.

"Uh, it can wait till we get to the car." she promised.

He nodded and followed her back into the hotel room, giving his wife a kiss goodbye and chuckling at the position Ally had managed to contort her body into. "You know, you used to sleep like this when you were a baby, Jenny." he said while taking a picture of his daughter with his phone. "Must be where she gets it from."

JJ smiled at the thought. "He's DD tonight, Lil so if we're out too late, he can just sleep on my couch so he doesn't wake you guys up, okay?"

"Hey, sibling simpatico!" Thomas said chucking JJ on the shoulder gently as Lillian nodded her ascent and waved them off. "I was just gonna say the same thing!"

"I know." JJ mumbled, ushering her brother out the door and to her car.

"Okay, talk to me, Squirt." Thomas demanded as they got into the car. "You got the 32-Blues?"

"That's not even a thing." JJ asserted, tapping their destination into the GPS so Thomas could find his way through the unfamiliar streets. "I'm in the Echo."

Thomas stopped in the middle of adjusting the mirrors, his mouth open. "Jennifer Emmaline Jareau, you're in the Echo and you didn't tell me _all day_? Your only brother?"

"Sorry!" JJ exclaimed, having the good sense to feel contrite as she finished fiddling with the GPS and put it back on its holder. "In my defense, I could have told you about it a million times by now and I just forgot."

Thomas nodded gamely and started the car. "Okay, that's fair. How many repetitions have you been through?"

"Um, one? Actually more like _most_ of one."

Thomas frowned and guided the car through traffic. "Your _only_ brother."

JJ rolled her eyes. "Well _sorry_ , brother-dearest, but I've been busy rethinking literally everyone I've come into contact with in a twenty four hour period."

Thomas sucked his teeth in sympathy and shook his head. "That's right," he said. "Being in the Echo when you're bi must be a helluva thing, huh?"

"God, seriously. I'm lucky PG has been through this so at least I know what I'm supposed to be _feeling_ even if I still don't know what I'm looking for."

"Well if you haven't met them yet, do we go anywhere after the club?"

JJ shook her head. "We went looking for an open burger joint, but parking was horrible since it was so late and we just went back to my place."

"On the plus side, that means it has to be someone at Eighteenth Street, right?"

"Yeah, I guess, but that doesn't really narrow it down, we were there until closing at three and I saw a lot of people."

"Anyone stand out?"

JJ closed her eyes to mentally scan the memory she had of Previous Today. She remembered catching the eye of a woman on the sidewalk outside the club, but she was sure she was only remembering her because she was so striking. She'd been there and gone in a second. JJ certainly wasn't a blackout drunk, but the memories of everyone she'd interacted with after they got into the club started to get a little hazy the longer the night wore on. "No?" she settled on finally. "I mean, maybe, but I don't really remember?" she pointed out of the window. "Park here and we'll walk the rest of the way."

Thomas found a parking space and shut the engine off, making no immediate move to get out of the car. "I'll help you in any way I can, Jenny, you know I will."

JJ smiled at her brother and pushed him gently away from her. "Thanks."

He nodded and they got out of the car, making their way the few blocks to the club where there was already a line outside. "What's on your mind?" he asked, noting his sister's pensive expression.

JJ shrugged. "I was just thinking, about how you hear stories about people in happy relationships that get in the Echo. I mean, it happens, right?"

Thomas nodded. "It happens."

"I don't want to break up some happy couple. What if they have kids? _God_ that would kill me." She frowned and rocked back on her heels.

"What would you and Lillian do if one of you got in the Echo?"

Thomas shrugged. "We talked about it, actually. We love each other and we're happy together and we love our family. If one of us is in the Echo, we'll meet whoever it is to break the repetitions and stay together in whatever way that entails."

"Was that your idea?" JJ asked, trying to lighten the mood. "You're hoping for _two_ wives when some of us don't get _any_ wives?"

He laughed, but didn't answer her, knowing it was just in jest. "I wouldn't worry about it, Jenny. You haven't met the person yet so there's no reason to catastrophize your theoretical future together. Just focus on one thing at a time and worry about the hiccups when you get to them."

"When did you get so wise?"

"Watchin Dr Phil." Thomas joked as they moved forward, taking out his wallet to pay the doorman.

JJ looked around her as the people just in front of them tried to convince the doorman they should pay less to get in. Truthfully, she was kind of hoping to see that woman in red again, even as she felt a little guilty at the thought.

Here she was in _the_ Echo, trying to eyeball someone else. Thomas was right though, they hadn't even met yet, maybe they wouldn't even end up in a relationship. She felt a pang of disappointment on not seeing the woman where she remembered her. She must have been so engrossed in nerves and conversation with her brother that she must have missed the feeling of the woman staring at her. Oh well, there was always tomorrow. Or Next Today, anyway. She debated on whether or not to just blurt out that she was in the Echo to her friends before deciding against it and sending a quick text to Penelope to keep it under her hat. She loved her friends, but they could be the most obvious people on the planet and the _last_ thing she needed was to draw attention to herself by acting weird in a group. Besides, there was no guarantee they were _here_. She'd figured out where to be pretty quickly but maybe they'd done more things during the day and their timing was off? Maybe _her_ timing was off. She groaned inwardly at the thought of doing this several more times. At least since it wasn't anyone she saw at the park, she could sleep in.

They paid the doorman and made their way into the club, simultaneously looking for her friends and looking for anyone that seemed to take a particular interest in her. She'd forgotten to send Penelope a text about ordering her something and god did she ever need it. JJ lead her brother to where she remembered her friends sitting and they waved her over the same way they did the Previous Today.

"Hey, there she is!" Derek said, standing up and giving her a bearhug. "Happy birthday, JJ." the rest of the table echoed the sentiment and she exchanged hugs with them while they made room on the couches to accommodate her and Thomas.

"Thanks, guys," she said genuinely with a smile. "I'll be right back, but

I _really_ need a drink."

"I got a tab open." Rossi said. "Tonight's on me."

JJ smiled gratefully, already knowing that but just as thankful all the same. She took several steps away before remembering she'd forgotten to ask Penelope where Derek's friend is. Shrugging, she kept making her way to the bar. She already knew the woman wasn't here, there had been some minor emergency and she'd had to leave before she and Thomas got there. She needed a shot of something.


	9. Ch9 Emily and JJ

Emily tapped her fingers against the bar top, patiently waiting her turn, but nervous all the same. She felt like she'd been here longer than last time, but pulling out her phone to check for messages, Mallory still hadn't messaged her. She couldn't trust her perception of time, all day she'd felt like everything was taking forever. When the bartender approached her, she ordered a double shot of Grey Goose and a cocktail. He nodded and poured her shot quickly while she gave him the tab name an he set about preparing her cocktail. Usually she'd try to usurp whoever was paying for the group and pay for it on the sly, but Rossi had more money than God due to a best selling book series he'd written that fictionalized some of the cases he'd been on so she didn't mind helping spend some of his gains.

* * *

JJ made it to the bar and immediately noticed the woman from the Previous Today. "Shit." JJ mumbled. She _knew_ she messed things up by not texting Penelope about ordering her a drink and a shot. She'd never made it to the bar in the Previous Today, she'd had her order waiting for her when she'd gotten to the table and then Rossi and Spence left to help them carry bottle service to their table. The woman from outside must have just stepped out for...she watched the woman check her phone anxiously and put it back in her pocket. A phone call, JJ guessed. Well, if she'd already screwed up enough that the day was going to repeat, she may as well get to know the beautiful brunette. JJ put all thoughts of the repetition in her future out of her head, smoothed her hair down and made her way up to the bar next to the brunette.

* * *

Emily shook her head after checking her phone yet again and cursed the fact that she hadn't even sort of remembered what time Mallory text her. Calm down. She told herself. Worst case scenario, she'd just do this over again. Damn, her arms and legs ached just thinking about doing all that stupid drywall again. Though she had a good argument to refuse to help Derek tomorrow. Today. Whatever. She resolved to not look at her phone for at least the duration of her cocktail and if Mallory still hadn't text her by then, she would text her first to ask about Sergio. Nodding to herself, she took downed her shot, feeling the vodka warm her face immediately. She smiled her thanks at the bartender when he set her mixed drink in front of her and he nodded before moving off to help someone else.

"I'd ask if I could buy you a drink," a sultry voice said next to her. "but you already have one, so how about you buy _me_ a drink?"

Emily smirked, the timbre of the other woman's voice sending a shiver through her. Maybe she'd blow Mallory off, just this one repetition. "Sure," she replied, taking a drink of her cocktail. "What're you-" she cut herself off as she turned to face the woman and immediately recognized the petite blonde from before. She frowned and reached into her pocket to check her phone. Mallory still hadn't text her.

"Wow, that's the fastest I've ever been blown off by anyone, of any gender." the woman said though she sounded amused, not offended.

"Oh!" Emily started, embarrassed. "No! No, it's just," she looked up from her phone to apologize, the last thing she wanted this woman to think was that she was blowing her off but she'd messed up the day somewhere. The blonde was looking at her expectantly as Emily fumbled for words when their gazes met instead of checking each other out and every coherent thought Emily had been entertaining, promptly flew out of her head. First the din of the crowd fell away, and all she could hear was music but it sounded like it was far away and underwater. Then that too disappeared and was replaced by a hum of silence that wasn't unpleasant. Emily felt her lips form a smile, the action mirrored by the blonde woman as everything came back into focus, it was like the dimmer switch had been turned back up on reality.

"I've been looking for you all day." the blonde said, leaning her elbow onto the bar.

"God, I thought I was going to have to do this for months." Emily admitted with a laugh.

"Me too." the blonde replied with a smile. She held out her hand. "My name's Jennifer."

"Emily." Emily offered back, taking Jennifer's hand to shake. The second their hands touched, they both jerked them back and stared at them like they'd never noticed they had five fingers before. Emily was going to punt Derek into the sun for describing that feeling as a simple "flash." She felt like the blood in her veins had been replaced with warm electricity and it was still humming through her. "That was..."

"Something." Jennifer finished in agreement.

"Yeah...Oh! The window!" Emily exclaimed as the realization hit her.

Jennifer looked bemused but entertained and she raised an eyebrow. "The window?"

"Yesterday. Today. Whatever. I left the window open before I came here and my cat got out. My neighbour got him and text me so I left early to get him back, and I saw you outside, but only for a second before my Uber showed up. But today, I didn't open the window when I came home."

"Hence no text." Jennifer said, nodding along. "I feel kind of bad you did all the work. I ran around frantically most of the day but haven't really done anything different."

Emily grinned slyly and waved to the bartender. "Worth it." she said. "Are you here with anyone?"

Jennifer nodded. "Yeah, it's actually my birthday."

Emily lifted her eyes to the ceiling in an I-can't-believe-this gesture. "Do people call you JJ, by any chance?"

JJ laughed and quickly placed her drink order when the bartender slid up to them, mentioning Rossi's open tab. "Yeah, no one calls me Jennifer. You must be Morgan's friend from Chicago."

"Go figure." Emily replied. They looked at each other for a long moment before bursting out laughing at the absurdity of it all. "If no one calls you Jennifer," Emily started once they'd gotten themselves under control. "Why'd you introduce yourself like that?"

JJ shrugged and toyed with the little plastic sword in the drink that was set in front of her. "Dunno." She pulled the sword out of her drink and popped the cherry on the end into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. "I just felt like I'd like the way you'd say it." She cocked her head to the side in a gesture that suggested they not park at the bar and take up space. Emily took the hint and nodded, collecting her drink and walking with JJ back to their table.

"And? What's the verdict?"

"I could definitely get used to it."

"You're still here, Princess?" Derek asked curiously.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Reid interjected.

"She, uh, had an appointment." he attempted to cover.

"Don't worry," Emily assured, sitting down between Rossi and JJ. "I ended up making an even more important appointment."

"My girl!" Derek crowed, holding out his fist which Emily tapped with hers while laughing.

"Hello? Confused here!" Penelope said accusingly, looking back and forth between her fiancé and Emily. She hated being left out of the hot gossip.

"I'll tell you later, Baby Girl, it's JJ's birthday." Derek replied.

"No, it's okay, Morgan." JJ insisted, grinning into her glass as she took a drink.

Derek looked over at Emily who understandably looked entirely too pleased with herself. She made a go head gesture with one hand and he shrugged, saying: "Prentiss has been in the Echo." he announced. "And now it seems, she's out of it."

Reid offered his congratulations, along with his condolences since "I'm not sure how long you've been doing today" while Rossi raised his glass and said something in Italian that made her laugh and shake her head. Derek figured he might as well ask who it was, now that the cat was out of the bag and JJ looked like she didn't mind at all that someone's Echo Breaking was during her birthday party but Penelope cut him off before he got the chance.

"Shut. Up." she squealed, clapping her hands in delight. "Shut up! Am I not the Seer of All Things Vast and Unknowable or what?" she slapped Derek's shoulder several times and pointed at JJ as if she needed to be pointed out. "Derek, did I not say they would be a perfect couple? Did I not say those exact words?"

"Yeah, Baby Girl, but" he looked at his girlfriend in confusion for a moment before what she was getting at hit him. "JJ? You've been in the Echo today too?"

"Until I met Emily anyway." JJ confirmed.

"Salute!" Rossi toasted, patting Emily gently on the shoulder.

Reid's face lit up and he offered congratulations again and retracted his previous offer of condolences.

"Well," Thomas spoke up. "This'll certainly go down as the most memorable birthday a Jareau has ever had."

They all laughed and clinked glasses, Emily exchanging a smile with JJ. She wanted to know everything about her, wanted to discover things with her, and for the first time, Emily felt no hesitation about the idea that JJ would want the same of her. She couldn't wait to get started.

"Yeah, me too." JJ murmured as if she'd read Emily's mind.

Emily grinned and stood up, offering an outstretched hand to JJ. "Dancing first, Jennifer?"

"Dancing first, Emily." JJ agreed, enjoying a subdued version of the electric jolt she'd felt the first time they touched as their hands fit together. As Emily spun around so she could pull her closer, JJ had the brief thought that it was a pity that the Echo only happened until you met, if it were up to her, she'd relive this part of the day a little longer. She smiled broadly when Emily grinned at her, moving to the rhythm of the music. Yeah, maybe it was okay the Echo only happened until they met, she couldn't wait to wake up to a brand new day of possibilities with Emily.

"Yeah, me too." Emily mouthed and JJ knew that people in the Echo together couldn't read each other's minds, but she knew Emily had just seen her thoughts written on her face. And while being so readable would have bothered her in the past, she felt safe. She felt like she was in the Right Place at the Right Time. And she was. They were.


End file.
